USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 9
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Nor is it worth investigating why a Greek name-Seneca-was ever given to a tribe of American savages.
A legend about a war between these two tribes, preserved by tradi- tion, of course, may not be out of place here, for the dwellers of the valley of Sandusky river occupy the last hunting grounds of these tribes east of the Mississippi river.
A man of the Hurons-as the story goes-wanted a certain squaw for his wife, but she objected, and said that her wooer had never taken any scalps-that he was no warrior. To remove this objection to his suit, he raised a small war-party, and in their hunt for scalps, fell upon a party of Senecas and killed and scalped some of them.
This caused a war between the two tribes that lasted more than a century, and which they supposed was fully a hundred winters before the French came to Quebec. Both tribes were greatly wasted in the
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WAR BETWEEN THE SENECAS AND WYANDOTS.
contest. They often made peace, but the first opportunity the Sene- cas had to take advantage of the Hurons, they would destroy all they could -. men, women and children.
The Wyandots, fearing the danger of being entirely exterminated. concluded to leave their homes on the St. Lawrence. and go to the vast west. They made their escape to the upper lakes in their canoes, and settled in several villages in the vicinity of Green Bay. After a few years the Senecas raised a war-party, followed the Wyandots to their new homes. destroyed one of their villages, killed a number of the Wyandots and returned. This was some time before the Indians had any knowledge of fire-arms or gun-powder. Their implements of war consisted of bows, arrows and the war-club: also, a war-axe. which was a stone cut to an edge on one side or end. a broad. flat ball at the other end. and near which a groove was made around the stone to receive the thin end of the handle. which was bent into the groove and fastened with a string cut out of a raw-hide.
Soon after this the French laid out and built Quebec. and opened trade with the Indians: supplied them with, and instructed them in the use of, fire-arms and various other instruments. The Senecas. feeling themselves proficient in the use of fire-arms, made up a war- party against the Wyandots at the upper lakes. They came upon them in the night. fired into their huts and terrified them exceedingly. The Wyandots thought it was lightning and thunder. but resisted the Sene- cas and drove them away. A few years later the Senecas made a third attack upon the Wyandot settlements, and took nearly all of them; but it so happened that at that time the young men were all engaged in a war with the Fox Indians along the Mississippi. The few that the Senecas had not killed agreed to give up resistance. return with their conquerors and become one people. It was agreed that the Senecas would wait two days to give the Wyandots time to get ready. collect their goods, get into their canoes and join them on the morning of the day at a point where the Seneras had gone to wait for them. They had a grand dance during the night.
Meantime, the Wyandots had sent word to other Wyandot villages. which the Senecas had not disturbed. They met. consulted together. and agreed to go down. and as near to the Senecas as possible without being observed, and listen to what they were doing. They equipped themselves, went down, and found the Senecas engaged in the dance. and feasting on two Wyandot men they had killed and roasted. as they said, for their beef: and as they danced, they shouted their victory. and spoke of how good their Wyandot beef was. They continued
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
the dance until near the break of day, and being tired, laid down and soon fell asleep. Then the Wyandots fell upon their sleeping foes and killed all of them. Not one was left to tell the tale of destruction. This ended the war for many years.
Now the French supplied the Wyandots with guns, also. At length another war broke out between these tribes. Both parties met in their canoes, on lake Erie, and the Senecas lost every man engaged. The Wyandots themselves were so badly exhausted that they allowed the canoes of the Senecas to float on the water, while they hastened to the shore. Thus ended this war, and the last trouble between the two tribes.
After that the Wyandots came with their canoes to the mouth of the Sandusky river, and took possession of its entire valley. They built their towns along its banks and tributaries, and up into the plains. There is neither history nor tradition of any note about them until the outbreak of the revolutionary war, when they perpetrated their infa- mous depredations along the back counties of Pennsylvania and Virginia-particularly those of Washington, Yougiogheny and West- moreland.
It was the depredations of the Wyandots that caused the various expeditions against western Indians, and especially that of Crawford. Nearly all these failed, and the savages were never properly chastised until Gen. Wayne came down upon them. From the peace at Green- ville until the war of 1812, there was no trouble with the Indians on the frontier. During this war the Wyandots, Shawnees and Senecas remained friendly to the United States. The deaths of Tecumseh and his brother, The Prophet, and their defeat on the Thames destroyed their power in the northwest forever.
Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur, as commissioners of the United States, on the one part, and the sachems, chiefs and warriors of the Wyandots, Senecas, Delawares, Shawnees, Potawatomies, Ottawas and Chippewas, on the other part, held at the foot of the rapids of the Miami, of lake Erie, on the 29th day of September, 1817, a treaty, wherein all the lands of these Indians in Ohio passed over to the United States. At this time there was not a single white settler within the present limits of Seneca county.
At this treaty the United States granted to Takawmadoaw, Captain Harris, Isahowmasaw, Joseph, Tawgyou, Captain Smith, Coffeehouse, Running-about and Wipingstick, chiefs of the Seneca tribe. 30,000 acres adjoining the Sandusky river, on the east side, mostly within the present limits of Seneca county. At a subsequent treaty, viz: Sep-
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LOGAN'S SPEECH.
tember 1 ;. 1818, 10.000 acres were added. These 40,000 acres were afterwards known as the Seneca Reservation.
Thereupon. this remnant of several tribes of Indians, and mixtures of others. such as Cayugas, Mohawks, Onondagas, Tuscarawas, Wyandots and Oneidas, settled upon this reservation. The Cayugas predominated in number. There was not one full blood Seneca amongst them. The Mingoes were originally Cayugas. and their chief was Logan. After the murder of Logan's family, the Mingoes scattered in bands all over the northwest.
Their hunting grounds were along the banks of the Scioto and the Olentangy, and some Seneca chief significantly remarked: "Their children were raised on their backs." They had no particular home. At the time of the treaty they had concentrated along the banks of the Sandusky, and the testimony of a Seneca chief, who knew Logan well, proves the fact that Logan spent his last days upon the banks of the Sandusky river.
The place where the celebrated speech of Logan was delivered, by an interpreter, sentence by sentence, was under a tree seven miles south of Circleville. Logan had refused to join a commission of peace. Here is the speech:
"I appeal to any white man to say if he ever entered Logan's cabin hungry. and he gave him not meat: if he came naked and cold, and I clothed him not. "During the last long and bloody war Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my country- men, as they passed me, said: Logan is the friend of the whites. I had thought of living among you, but for the injuries of one man. Col. Cresap, last spring, in cold blood and unprovoked. murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing even my women and children. There runs not one drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have sought it; I have killed many: I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice in the beams of peace. But do not harbor the thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan?"
President Jefferson has written of this powerful address of Logan: "I may challenge the whole orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, and of any more eminent orator, if Europe has furnished more eminent, to produce a single passage superior to the speech of I.ogan."
The poet Campbell, in "Gertrude, of Wyoming," has thus beauti- fully versified its sentiments:
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
"He, left, of all my tribe,
Nor man, nor child, nor thing of living birth; No, not the dog that watched my household hearth
Escaped that night of blood upon our plains. All perished. I alone am left on earth ! To whom not relative nor blood remains- No. not a kindred drop that runs in human veins."
The fate of Logan was a very sad one. His last years were melan- choly in the extreme. Homeless, childless, friendless-he wandered about, from tribe to tribe, with never a smile, and apparently without a joy. His friends were all dead, his tribe dwindled away, and, in his great dejection, he resorted to the fatal stimulus of strong drink. He was at last murdered by an Indian. Logan was sitting by the camp fire, silently musing, with his blanket over his head, his elbows upon his knees and his head upon his hands. An Indian, influenced by some unknown motive of revenge, stealthily approached him from behind and buried his tomahawk in his brain. Thus fell this unfor- tunate chieftain-the last of his race.
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CHAPTER IV.
COUNCIL WITH INDIANS-HARRISON'S SPEECH- HARRISON AT FORT SENECA -CROGHAN'S DEFENSE OF . HARRISON- BLUE JACKET'S PLAN TO ASSAS- SINATE HARRISON-BLUE JACKET'S DEATH-ARMY ROADS-THOMAS COR- WIN-ANECDOTE OF CORWIN-SKETCHES OF JAMES MONTGOMERY AND JAMES T. WORTHINGTON.
A BOUT the first of July. 1813, a detachment of men, under the command of Gen. Harrison, erected a stockade upon the west bank of the Sandusky river, within the present limits of Pleasant township, in this county, to which was given the name of Camp Seneca.
It was situated upon a bank, about forty feet above the bed of the river, close to the old army road, and contained within its enclosure about one and one-half acres of ground. It was built nearly in the form of a square, surrounded by pickets of oak timber a foot in thick- ness and twelve feet high. Between this spot and the river are several springs of water, one of which was inside of the pickets.
On the east side were two rows of pickets, six feet apart, the space filled with earth. On the south was a single row of pickets. A little beyond this was a deep ravine. between which and the camp an embankment was thrown up, traces of which are still remaining. On the west was a single row of pickets, with a ditch about six feet deep. and twelve feet wide. On the north there was also a deep ditch, with an embankment, upon the top of which were placed the pickets.
A blockhouse was erected at the southwest corner, sixteen feet high, and about twenty-five feet square, which has long since passed away. It consisted of large logs, with port-holes for cannon and small arms. and was located in such a manner as to completely command the ditch. There was a projection at the northeast corner, strongly picketed, used. perhaps, as a magazine: and two small blockhouses at each of the other corners, with port holes. The spot is one mile south of the northern boundary of Pleasant township, the section line between sections 8 and 9 running through it. There is a deep ravine on the south of the spot.
Previous to the building of this camp, in June, 1813. Gen. Harrison
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held a council with the chiefs of the friendly Indians, at Franklinton, the Delawares, Wyandots, Shawnees and Senecas being represented. He urged upon them the necessity of taking a decided stand in the war with Great Britain, and say whether they were in favor of, or against, the United States; that the President wished no false friends; that the proposition of Proctor to exchange the Kentucky militia for the tribes friendly with us, indicated that he had received some hint of their willingness to take up the tomahawk against us; that to give the United States a proof of their good disposition, they must remove with their families into the interior, or the warriors must accompany him in the ensuing campaign, and fight for the United States. To the latter proposition the chiefs and warriors unanimously agreed, and said they had long been anxious for an invitation to fight for the Americans. Tarhee, the oldest Indian in the western country, who represented all the tribes, professed in their name the most indissoluble friendship for the United States. Gen. Harrison then told them that he would let them know when they would be wanted in the service, and said to them: "But you must conform to our mode of warfare. You are not to kill defenseless prisoners, old men, women or children." He added that by their conduct he would 'be able to tell whether the British would restrain the Indians from such horrible cruelty. For, if the Indians fighting with him would forbear such conduct, it would prove that the British could also restrain theirs if they wished to do so. He humorously told them that he had been informed of Gen. Proctor', promise to deliver him into the hands of Tecumseh, to be treated as that warrior might see fit, provided he, Proctor. succeeded at Fort Meigs. "Now, if I can succeed in taking Proctor, you shall have him for your prisoner, provided you will agree to treat him as a squaw, and only put petticoats upon him: for he must be a coward who would kill a defenseless prisoner."
There can be no doubt of that arrangement between Proctor and Tecumseh, for the latter sought for revenge since the battle of Tippe- canoe. "Tecumseh insisted and Proctor agreed," says Dawson, "that Gen. Harrison and all who fought at Tippecanoe should be given up to the Indians to be burned." Major Ball ascertained the same facts from prisoners, deserters and Indians. And this, also, proves the other fact: That Tecumseh had intended to violate his promise made ' 10 Harrison at Vincennes.
In the same month, and while still at Franklinton. Gen Harrison was informed of the movement of Proctor upon Fort Meigs. He started with re-enforcements, and having learned that it was a false
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HARRISON AT FORT SENECA.
alarm, returned to Lower Sandusky, on the first of July. On' the following day he set out for Cleveland to see after public stores, and the building of boats to transport the army across the lake. When Gen. Harrison returned to Lower Sandusky, and being informed that a large body of Indians had been seen passing Fort Meigs, he concluded that it was only a feint, and that the real object of the enemy was to surprise Fort Stephenson or Cleveland. He immediately removed his headquarters to Fort Seneca, nine miles above Lower Sandusky. From this place he could fall back and protect Upper Sandusky, or pass by a secret route to the relief of Fort Meigs, if necessary-two points to be defended-Lower Sandusky being of comparatively little conse- quence. Major Croghan was left, as already stated, at Fort Stephenson, with one hundred and sixty men. There were then about six hundred troops at Fort Seneca, a force too small to assist Fort Meigs. Gen. Harrison's anticipations proved to be correct. The enemy moved upon Fort Stephenson.
Gen. Harrison, as early as the 21st of April, in a letter to the Secre- tary of War, speaking of the operations of the campaign, with his usual and wonderful sagacity, remarked: "I shall cause the movement of the enemy to be narrowly watched; but in the event of their landing at Lower Sandusky, that post ran not be saved. I will direct it. in -uch an event, to be evacuated. The stores there are not of much consequence, excepting about five hundred stand of arms, which I shall cause to be removed as soon as the roads are practicable; at present, it is impossible." These arms were subsequently, and before the battle, taken away. Gen. Harrison was fully convinced that Fort Stephenson could not be defended against heavy artillery, and the fort must be abandoned and burned, provided, a retreat could be effected with safety.
The orders left for Major Croghan, stated: "Should the British troops approach you in force, with cannon, and you can discover them in time to effect a retreat, you will do so immediately, destroying all the public stores. You must be aware that the attempt to retreat in the face of an Indian force, would be vain. Against such an enemy your garrison would be safe, however great the number."
To show that Gen. Harrison's opinion as to the safety of Fort Ste- phenson was proper, it should be remembered that at a council of war, . omposed of McArthur, Cass, Ball, Paul, Wood. Hukill, Holmes and Graham, it was the unanimous opinion that the fort could not be held against heavy artillery; that the post was relatively unimportant; that the garrison should not be re-enforced. but withdrawn, and the place
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destroyed. Thereupon, and immediately, the order was despatched to ('roghan to leave, as already stated.
In addition to what has already been said of the battle of Fort Ste- phenson, and Gen. Harrison's relation thereto, it should be remembered that there were only about Soo troops at Fort Seneca. One-fifth of these were cavalry and the remainder raw militia. To have marched upon an enemy five times their number, with these troops, would, in all human probability, have resulted in disaster. There were then, also. one hundred and fifty-six soldiers at Fort Stephenson, and to leave these to the mercy of the tomahawks, was a responsibility that no military leader of the capacity of Gen. Harrison, would overlook. In addition to all this, Gen. Harrison had every reason to believe that Tecumseh, with his following, were making for Fort Stephenson. They were then lying in the swamp between that point and Fort Meigs, 2,000 strong, ready to strike upon either camp-Upper Sandusky or Fort Seneca- the moment it should be ascertained that Harrison had moved to the relief of Fort Stephenson. Under all these circumstances he was bound, by every military principle, to retain that position in which he could, with the greatest certainty, accomplish the best result. He therefore determined to wait for a time the progress of events, hoping that re-enforcements would arrive before the fort could be reduced. On the night of the second of August, he was informed of the retreat of the enemy, and re-enforcements having arrived before morning, he set out with 300 militia for the fort, attended by dragoons, and ordered the remainder of the disposable force, under Gens. Cass and McArthur. to follow. Upon reaching the fort, Harrison was informed that Tecumseh was in the swamp south of Fort Meigs, ready to make for Upper Sandusky on the first opportunity. He thereupon directed Gen. McArthur, who had not yet arrived, to return to Camp Seneca with all possible speed.
Gen. Harrison, in his official report, said: "It will not be among the least of Gen. Proctor's mortifications to find that he has been baffled by a youth who has just passed his twenty-first year. He is, however, a hero worthy of his gallant uncle, George R. Clark." President Madison immediately conferred the brevet rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on Major Croghan.
Shortly after an attack was made on Gen. Harrison in some public prints, as to his conduct in the defense of Fort Stephenson, to which Major Croghan promptly replied, by forwarding to a newspaper in Cincinnati a communication dated Lower Sandusky, August 27, 1813. in which he gives the true reasons for disobeying Gen. Harrison's
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CROGHAN'S DEFENSE OF HARRISON. .
orders to destroy the fort, etc., and says: "I have with much regret seen in some of the public prints such misrepresentations respecting my refusal to evacuate this post, as are calculated not only to injure me in the estimation of military men, but also to excite unfavorable impressions as to the propriety of Gen. Harrison's conduct relative to this affair. His character as a military man is too well established to need my approbation or support. But his public services entitle him at least to common justice. This affair does not furnish cause for reproach. If public opinion has been lately misled respecting his conduct, it will require but a moment's cool, dispassionate reflection, to convince them of its propriety. The measures recently adopted by him, so far from deserving censure, are the clear proofs of his keen penetration and able generalship."
The letter concludes with the following paragraph, alike honorable to the soldier and gentleman: "It would be insincere to say that I am not flattered by the many handsome things which have been said about the defense which was made by the troops under my command; but I desire no plaudits which are bestowed upon me at the expense of Gen. Harrison. I have, at all times, enjoyed his confidence so far as my rank in the army entitled me to it, and on proper occasions received his marked attention. I have felt the warmest attachment for him as a man, and my confidence in him as an able commander remains unshaken. I feel every assurance that he will at all times do me ample justice; and nothing could give me more pain than to see his enemies seize upon this occasion to deal out their unfriendly feelings and acri- monious dislike. And as long as he continues (as in my humble opinion he has hitherto done) to make the wisest arrangements, and most judicious disposition which the forces under his command will justify. I shall not hesitate to unite with the army in bestowing upon him that confidence which he so richly merits, and which has on no occasion been withheld."
Whoever now lives to remember the ever-memorable presidential campaign of 1840, with all its attending circumstances and displays, too tedious to enumerate, will also remember the heat of passion and excesses of party strife exhibited on both sides. Something of it may be recorded in other pages. I desire here only to express my great regret to know that in American politics the personal character of the opposing candidate, and his personal feelings, and his pride, seem to have nothing in them that his political enemies should regard as sacred. The candidate on the other side, for any office, high or low, is regarded as public property, and every political enemy has full license to assail
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him at his pleasure. For a proud and intelligent people, in the choice of men for officers, to resort to all manner of personal vituperation and abuse of opposing candidates, and to assail, blacken, traduce, and ruin, if possible, by all manner of means, characters that may be as fair and honorable as those of the best of men, and simply to win at the polls, is a crime against good breeding, against common justice, against good morals, and against ordinary decency.
The ladies of Chillicothe had a right to present Col. Croghan with a splendid sword if they saw fit so to do, and to make him a nice speech --- certainly they had. But to have it said that they presented Gen. Harrison with a petticoat, and have that paraphernalia painted on transparencies and carried through the streets in democratic processions to turn to ridicule the valuable services of an able, high- minded and patriotic citizen and soldier like Gen. Harrison, seemed very wrong to me then, young as I was, and the impression sticks to me still. It seemed equally wicked to paint Martin VanBuren on transparencies with the sword in one hand and the purse in the other, to make people believe that the Little Fox of Lindenwald would usurp and destroy free government. And to cap the climax of this manner of political warfare, after a candidate has been abused and vilified to the hearts' content of his opponents, and is elected withal, nevertheless, then not only quietly submit to the administration of the duties of his office, but to shake hands with him and congratulate him upon his success : Such things can be done only in America.
While Gen. Harrison was at Camp Seneca he narrowly escaped being murdered by an Indian. The reader will remember that the Delawares, Shawnees, Wyandots and Senecas had been invited to join the army under Harrison against the British and their Indian allies. Quite a number of them had accepted the invitation, and had reached Fort Seneca before the arrival of the Kentucky troops. Before the departure of these friendly Indians from their respective towns, an unfriendly Indian had insinuated himself into the good graces of the chiefs under pretense of friendship for the Americans, but with the intention of killing the commanding general. He was a Shawnees, and was known by the name of Blue Jacket, but was not the celebrated Blue Jacket who signed the treaty of Greenville with General Wayne. He had formerly lived at the Indian town of Wapakoneta. He had been absent from his tribe some time, and had returned but a few days before the warriors of that town had set out to join the American army.
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